Knitting machine



May 25, 1943. w. J. KUEHNEL KNITTING MACHINE Fil ed May 8, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR wzllzam IJiiuzhnel WITNESSES 14/ h Ma MM WV, I ATTORNEYS y 1943. w. J. KUEHNEL 2,320,285

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES I William Jfuehnel 'BY M W4 ATTORNEYS Patented May 25, 1943 KNITTING IVIACHINE William J. Kuehnel, Sag Harbor,

N. Y., assignor of one-half to John G. G. Merrow, New York,

Application May 8, 1942, Serial No. 442,142

6 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly to a knitting machine of the circular type adapted to knitting fingers on knitted gloves, although it may be used for knitting any type of tubular fabric. In the manufacture of woolen gloves it is customary to knit the wrist and hand portions on the usual machines, striping in cotton when the hand portion is completed, and thereafter to pick up the stitches for each finger and to knit each finger out individually, closing the end to form the completed glove. In many cases this is done by hand or by complicated small machines which are inefficient in operation and which do not produce the proper type of work. Moreover, the process is slow and therefore costly.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine for the knitting of glove fingers and similar small tubular articles, which will be simple and foolproof in operation and which may be more rapidly operated.

A further object is the provision of a machine which may be so mounted that the stitches may be simply and quickly placedon the needles with a saving of time and effort on the part of the operator.

A still further object is to provide a machine of the character described which may be simply and readily adjusted for different types of yarns and operation.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional plan view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

My machine I is designed to be mounted on an arm II which may be bolted to a table or stand so that the bottom of the machine is clear and readily accessible. The machine consists of two main parts, a base plate l2, which is stationary, and a rotating plate l4. The base plate l2 serves not only as a base, but as a needle plate, and is provided with a series of grooves l5 extending radially from the inner periphery E6 to the outer periphery ll. Adjacent the inward terminus of the grooves are a series of posts l8 which serve as further guides. The number of grooves l5 depends on the type of work to be done and the number of needles to be carried, there being one groove for each needle.

The needles 20 are of the conventional type having a shank 2|, a hook 22, and a latch 23. Each needle is provided with a butt 24. The needles are seated in the grooves so that the butts 24 extend above the surface of the base plate l2. The rotating plate I4 is circular, and its outer periphery 25 is grooved at 26 to constitute a pulley wheel adapted to be engaged by the belt 21. The plate l4 has a depending annular fiange, the inner portion of which, 28, is adapted to engage the periphery of the base plate l2.

The undersurface of the plate I4 is provided with a cam groove 35 extending from the point 3| radially to the point 32. The cam groove engages'the butts of the needles to position them within the needle grooves l5. Between the points 3| and-32, in a counter-clockwise direction, are guide cams or plates 33, 34, and 36, positioned by the screws 31. These plates are readily removable to change the course of the needles when necessary, and the plate 34 is positioned by the screw 40 mounted in the elongated slot 4| so that the cam plate 34 may be adjusted without removal from the plate [4.

Mounted on the plate M, by means of the screw 45, is the arm 46 having a depending member 41 to be positioned in the opening 48 to form a gate for the convenient removal and insertion of the needles. The plate I4 is positioned on the base plate l2 by means of the plates 49 held by the screws 50. A series of these plates may be used, or a continuous ring may be used to prevent the accidental removal of the plate l4.

Mounted on the plate I4 is a combined thread feeder and latch opener held in place by the screws 58. This member consists of an arm extending over the opening within the plates and is provided with apertures 51 and 59 through which the yarn is fed. It is also provided with an arcuate hook member 58 which acts as a latch opener and which opens the latches on the needles so that the new stitch can be picked up by the hooks.

The entire machine may be run with a small motor or foot treadle and is operated by the belt 21. In operation, particularly in the knitting of glove fingers, the stitches of the blank are picked up on the needles 20, the yarn is then fed through the apertures 51 and 59, and the top rotating plate 14 rotated in a clockwise direction. The butts 24 of the needles being engaged by the track 30, will be held in position until they engage the track 39, defined by the cam plates 33, 34, 35 and 36, where the knitting operation is controlled, the needles being extended by the track at 3B and then withdrawn by the track at 39, thereby casting off the old stitch. A shoulder 60 is provided on the camplate 34 to prevent rotation of the plate in a counter-clockwise direction.

It will be appreciated that the needles operate in a horizontal plane and that, in picking up the stitches, the operator may freely hold the work under the machine without running into any obstructions. Since the needles are operated in a horizontal plane, the stitches may be easily and quickly picked up.

In order to facilitate the operation of the machine and to make more readily accessible the needles, the under portion of the plate I2 is cut away at B5 and 66, as is shown particularly in Fig. 2. This makes it much simpler for the operator to pick up stitches from the blank.

I claim:

1. A circular knitting machine comprising a stationary base plate, a plurality of needle grooves radially disposed in said base plate, needles having latches in said grooves with their butts extending above said grooves, a cam plate having a cam track engaging said needle butts mounted on said stationary plate, the periphery of said cam plate forming a pulley wheel, a belt in said pulley wheel, and a combined yarn feeder and latch opener mounted on said cam plate.

2. A circular knitting machine comprising a stationary base plate, means for mounting said base plate whereby the bottom thereof will be free from obstruction, a plurality of needle grooves radially disposed in said base plate, needles having latches and butts positioned for sliding movement in said grooves with their butts extending above said grooves, a cam plate having a cam track engaging said needle butts mounted for rotation on said stationary plate, the periphery of said cam plate forming a pulley wheel, and said cam track having adjustable cam plates to vary the degree of movement of said needles in said grooves.

3. A circular knitting machine comprising a stationary base plate, an opening in the center of said base plate, means for mounting said base plate whereby the bottom thereof and the opening therein will be free from obstruction, needle grooves radially disposed in said base plate, needles having latches and butts in said grooves with the operating end of said needles in said opening, a cam plate mounted for rotation on said stationary base plate, the periphery of said cam plate forming a pulley wheel, an opening in the center of said cam plate above said needles, a combined yarn feeder and latch opener mounted on said base plate over said opening and over said needles.

4. A circular knitting machine comprising a stationary base plate, a plurality of needle grooves radially disposed in said base plate, needles having latches in said grooves with their butts extending above said base plate, a cam plate having a cam track engaging said needle butts mounted for rotation on said stationary plate, an opening in said cam plate for said needles, a combined yarn feeder and latch opener mounted on said cam plate over said needles, an opening in said cam plate extending from said cam track to the inner periphery of said cam plate whereby said needles may be removed without removing the cam plate, and a gate for said opening.

5. A circular knitting machine comprising a stationary base plate having a central opening therein, the under portion of said base plate adjacent said opening being cut away, means for mounting said base plate whereby the under portion thereof will be unobstructed, radially disposed needle grooves in said base plate, needles having latches disposed in said grooves with their butts extending above said base plate, a radial cam plate carrying a cam track mounted for rotation on said base plate, the outer periphery of said cam plate forming a pulley wheel, a belt engaging said pulley wheel, and a combined yarn feeder and latch opener mounted on said cam plate for rotation therewith.

6. A circular knitting machine comprising a circular base plate, a plurality of needle grooves radially disposed in said base plate, needles in said grooves with their butts extending above said grooves, a cam plate having a cam track engaging said needle butts mounted on said stationry plate, the periphery of said cam plate forming a pulley wheel, a belt on said pulley wheel, and means for feeding yarn to said needles mounted on said cam plate.

WILLIAM J. KUEHNEL. 

